“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Part 1 – ANXIETY: (12 minutes)
Click on this link to watch the video – ANXIETY
Part 2 – Discussion: (25 minutes)
Which of these statements are untrue?
Christians never experience anxiety.
Anxiety can be caused by a variety of things, including social and academic pressures, past trauma, family or genetic influences, and chemical imbalances.
Fear is a reaction to something we know is real — anxiety involves imagining threats, and stressing about what might be real.
Common ways of dealing with anxiety involve deep breathing and focusing on our five senses.
Would being able to pinpoint the exact cause of your anxiety help to deal with it? Why or why not?
Can fear ever be a useful thing to feel? If so, when? What about anxiety? Why or why not?
Is it comforting to you that Jesus tells his disciples not to worry? Why or why not?
Part 3 – Comment: (10 minutes)
Engage this section as a group and post answers to the questions below in the “join the discussion box”. If the box does not show up, email Pastor John your answers.
Read Philippians 4:6-7 (see above).
Do you find this easy or difficult to do “in every situation”? Does the peace of God mean changing your circumstances, or changing your ability to deal with them?
Part 4 – Prayer: (10 minutes)
Use this time to pray for each other. You can do that by keeping a prayer request journal or by asking for personal prayer requests or prayers that relate to the day’s topic.
Ask each person to share what causes them some degree of anxiety.
Spend your remaining time praying for each other by asking the Lord to comfort and to provide freedom.
